Mussel and Cockle. 99 
colour of the shell also varies considerably, being 
sometimes of a delicate rose colour; at others, more 
of a claret; at others again bordering on purple. 
It was for one of the first discovered specimens of 
this shell that £1000 is said to have been given, 
Truly a Venus of value this; it ought to be called 
the Queen of Cockles ! 
Our next examples (see Fig. 4), is the Spotted 
Tridacna (7. maculatus), the latter term signifying 
spotted. In the Chamide, or Clam family, is placed 
the Tridacna genus, the discovered species of which 
are not numerous ; they are chiefly found in the 
Indian seas. The one above-mentioned claims pre- 
eminence for beauty. We cannot quite see the 
applicability of the generic name; Tridacnus, in 
Latin, signifies to be eaten at three bites, but he 
must be a man of large capacity indeed who could 
so devour the head of this family, the Giant Tri- 
dacna (7. gigas), a single specimen of which has 
been known to weigh as much as five hundred and 
seventy pounds; from three to four hundred is by 
no means an uncommon size. ‘The shell of this 
giant mollusk is of a very picturesque shape, some- 
thing like its spotted congener (as we call anything 
of the same kind or genus), only it is somewhat 
plainer, and more deeply ribbed and indented. The 
